HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY SUBJECT: Employment and Related Matters

TITLE: Separation from Employment

RESPONSIBLE EXECUTIVE: Chief Human Resources Officer

RESPONSIBLE OFFICE: Human Resources

CODING:

ADOPTED: 07/01/13

AMENDED: 5/01/15

PURPOSE: To establish guidelines ensuring uniform and consistent procedures for employee separations, both voluntary and involuntary. ACCOUNTABILITY: The Chief Human Resources Officer shall ensure compliance with this policy. Department Heads or designees of all departments shall implement this policy; ensuring employees are apprised of its requirements. APPLICABILITY: This policy applies to all University Hospital staff members and Housestaff. DEFINITIONS: Termination: Cessation of the employment relationship between the hospital and employee. Resignation: Voluntary separation from the hospital initiated by an employee. Retirement: Voluntary separation from the hospital upon meeting the State of New Jersey’s categorization as retired based on eligibility rules established by the State and requires application to the Division of Pensions and Benefits. Layoff/Reduction in Force: Termination based upon an action initiated by a department head as a result of the elimination or reductions in positions, funding, and grants, reduced or changed work requirements, or departmental reorganization. Involuntary Separation: Termination due to reasons constituting just cause by the hospital, or release during the probationary or introductory period. Death: Employee is deceased.

Separation from Employment

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Policy: I. Voluntary Separations: When an employee initiates a separation (i.e., the employee resigns or retires), the separation is considered voluntary. When an employee has been absent for three (3) consecutive days and fails to contact his/her supervisor, the hospital has the right to process a termination of that employee, effective the first date of absence, and any such termination shall be considered voluntary abandonment of position. When an employee fails to return from an approved leave of absence without proper notification, the hospital shall have the right to process a termination of that employee, effective the date the employee was scheduled to return from the leave of absence, and any such termination shall be considered voluntary abandonment of position. Resignation It is expected that employees shall provide a written notice of resignation:   

Depending on the specific bargaining agreement, employees may be required to provide three weeks’ (21 calendar days) written notice; Non-union staff employees are required to provide three (3) weeks’ notice; Management and executives are required to provide four (4) weeks’ notice.

Upon receipt of such notice, the manager/supervisor shall meet with the employee to acknowledge the resignation and, if a reason is not provided, attempt to determine same. If circumstances exist where, for business reasons, the manager desires to extend the last date worked, it is reasonable that the manager and employee may discuss working out a mutually agreeable alternate date, if possible. Once the last day of work is agreed upon, the separation shall be effective as of that date. Retirement In planning for retirement, an employee should give as much advance notice as possible to his or her supervisor. Managers/Supervisors should encourage retiring employees to consult with a Human Resources Benefits Associate to learn about benefit options and coverage, and to visit the State of New Jersey website at http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/termination.shtml. II. Involuntary Separations: Misconduct (i.e., Behavior, Performance, Attendance) An employee whose conduct, actions, or performance violates or is in conflict with hospital policies may be subject to discipline in accordance with established guidelines and collective bargaining agreements. Managers/Supervisors who are planning to take disciplinary action against an employee, especially if an action is suspension or termination of employment, must consult with the Human Resources Labor Relations department before any action is taken. Separation from Employment

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Failure of Probation or Introductory Period Staff members covered by a collective bargaining agreement that are newly hired; transferred; or promoted into a regular position and fail to meet the expectations of the job requirements will be terminated. In certain circumstances, based on the collective bargaining agreement, the staff member may return to his/her previous position if the position is available. In either case, managers/supervisors must consult with Labor Relations before any action is taken. The same guidelines may apply for non-aligned, confidential employees. Layoff There are times when it becomes necessary to lay off an employee due to lack of work, reduced funding, departmental restructuring or other changes in the workplace which impact staffing needs. Before a decision is made to eliminate a position, a manager/supervisor must consult with his or her Human Resources Generalist. Layoff procedures must be followed in accordance with collective bargaining agreements and the hospital’s Layoff Policy. Death Upon receiving notification of the death of an employee, the manager/supervisor must notify Human Resources immediately and advise survivors of the deceased to contact the Benefits Services Office. A termination will be made effective as of the date of the death. The Benefits Services section of Human Resources will process all applicable beneficiary documentation based on appropriate hospital benefit programs.

Procedures: In the event of an employee’s separation, the manager/supervisor shall, with assistance from Information Services and Technology (IST) limit or cancel access to computer and other accounts (i.e., email, healthcare systems such as EPIC, Banner, cell phones, pagers, etc.) in the employee’s area of responsibility. UH Access Control must also be contacted via the 2-3517 telephone extension to deactivate the employee’s identification card. It is the responsibility of the department head to forward a copy of the resignation letter or other documentation supporting the separation to Human Resources and to process an Electronic Personnel Action Form (EPAF) to effectuate the resignation. An EPAF must be completed to ensure that the employee is terminated from all appropriate systems in a uniform and consistent manner. Further, it is the manager/supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that the Payroll department receives the terminating employee’s timesheet in sufficient time to process the final paycheck in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations. Note: In unusual circumstances it may be necessary to expedite the de-provisioning of an employee’s access to critical systems (eg. Pyxis). Managers are expected to exercise appropriate judgment in identifying such circumstances and take immediate action when warranted. The Labor Relations Section of Human Resources should be consulted if there are any questions.

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Benefits Accrued, unused vacation days will be paid in accordance with the hospital’s Vacation policy. Appropriate COBRA notification will be provided by the Benefits Services Office. The expiration date of the medical, prescription and dental insurance coverage is based on the last day worked. For employees who separate between the first and the fifth of the month, coverage will cease at the end of the month. For employees who separate on the sixth of the month and thereafter, coverage will cease at the end of the following month. Group life insurance ends 31 days after employment ceases. The Human Resources Benefits Office is responsible for terminating all insurance and notifying the employee of his/her rights. Return of Property upon Separation An employee is required to turn in all hospital property to his or her manager/supervisor, including identification card, uniforms, keys, tools, laptops, hospital-issued cell phones, parking decal, computer materials, and electronic equipment prior to his/her last day of work. It is the responsibility of the manager/supervisor to ensure that all hospital property is returned to the appropriate unit. Managers should refer to the Manager’s Checklist (Exhibit A) for Separating Employees for guidelines relating to exiting employees. Other Provisions: Employees who Transfer between Units: An employee who is transferring from one position to another within the hospital is also expected to comply with the above guidelines. The manager/supervisor is responsible for limiting or cancelling access to premises, computers, etc., based on the individual circumstances and should consult the hospital’s policy on Transfers between Units. An EPAF should NOT be submitted to terminate the employee from the home department.

By:

____________________________ Chief Human Resources Officer

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EXHIBIT A MANAGER’S CHECKLIST SEPARATING EMPLOYEES UPON SEPARATION OF AN EMPLOYEE, THE BELOW FORM MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE DEPARTMENT MANAGER AND FORWARDED TO THE INDIVIDUAL’S EMPLOYEE FILE IN HUMAN RESOURCES - DATA ADMINISTRATION.

__________________ Employee A#

___________________________________________ Employee Name (Print)

__________________ Department

Separating an employee requires completing a number of administrative tasks to ensure the employee receives an accurate final pay check, vacation payout, notice of COBRA rights, etc. Securing the hospital’s property is also an important management responsibility. The following checklist will assist you.

Resignation, notice of intent to retire, or layoff letters must be sent to HR Generalist Initiate the separation through Banner’s Electronic Personnel Action Form (EPAF) Timesheets 



Do not notate “Terminated” on the timesheet if the employee is getting pay in lieu of notice; they need to be maintained within the system until any such pay is paid out. If the employee has resigned or is terminated, so indicate on the departmental timesheet with the effective date.

Securing Hospital Property

Disconnect all technology access – Contact the IST Service Center, 3-3200 or via e-mail at [email protected] Please be certain to provide the following information:  Employee Full Name  Employee A#  Department  Date for the employees last day of work Separation from Employment

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University ID badge: Management must return collected ID cards to the Access Control Office located in room A-103. Parking hang tag/Access Card Authorization Codes Office, suite, and any other keys: Management must return collected keys to the Access Control Office located in room A-103. A form is available in that office to request reimbursement for door key deposits. Such reimbursements are issued by Accounts Payable to the address indicated on the form. Cell phone Pager Laptop Any other Hospital equipment Return all technology equipment to department head Other Hospital Property

___________________________________ Manager’s Signature

Separation from Employment

______________________________ Manager’s Name (Print)

_____________ Date

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